Pulaski County Public Schools has scheduled two asynchronous virtual days for elementary students in grades Pre-K through 2nd. This will impact all Pulaski County elementary schools, with the exception of Snowville Elementary. The asynchronous virtual days are necessary due to a staffing shortage created by an increase in the number of SOL testing administration sessions and a decrease in the number of substitutes who are available to assist during the SOL testing window.
“In previous years, we’ve been able to bring in substitutes to help cover classes during SOL testing, but this is no longer a viable option given the number of unfilled substitute jobs that we are still experiencing on a regular basis,” Dr. Kevin Siers, Superintendent of Pulaski County Public Schools said. “SOL tests are the metric by which public schools in Virginia are measured and we want to make sure we provide our students the best possible opportunities for success. Staffing shortages in public education have forced all school divisions to consider creative solutions that provide the best possible learning and testing environments for students.”
The first asynchronous virtual day for Pre-K-2nd grade will be Friday, May 6, 2022 and the 3rd -5th grade students will take their Reading SOL on this day. All teachers in elementary school will be trained as SOL proctors and be able to assist with the small group testing sessions and the read-aloud testing sessions.
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 will be the second Pre-K-2nd grade asynchronous virtual day. On this day, all 3rd- 5th grade elementary students will take their Math SOL tests with all teachers proctoring and assisting with the SOL accommodations.
“After considering multiple possible solutions to address the need for additional testing proctors, it became evident that Snowville Elementary would be able to conduct their testing schedule without the use of Pre-K- 2nd grade virtual days, so they are not included in this schedule,” Dr. Siers said. “The enrollment at our other elementary schools is significantly higher, so additional assistance is necessary. Our goal for next year is to have enough substitute teachers on hand to avoid making this type of action necessary as we understand it poses an inconvenience for our families. We purposely scheduled the dates that were selected because they corresponded with already scheduled asynchronous virtual days for Pulaski County High School. It is our hope that this might be of some help to families who depend on older students to assist with childcare for their younger siblings.”
Pulaski County Public Schools requests that parents help their children be well prepared for their upcoming testing sessions by ensuring they get a full night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast, and wear comfortable clothing on testing days.